MSU business graduate students are challenging their counterparts at colleges around the country in the battle against communal hunger.
MSU Eli Broad Graduate School of Management students launched the ninth annual "MBA Food Fight" on Saturday, which pits 16 master's degree programs in business administration from colleges throughout the United States against each other.
"This competition helps us to develop leadership skills and raise food for the community," said Justin Debord, a business administration graduate student and the Broad MBA Association's vice president of community events. "This program is a good way to develop core values."
Over the weekend, graduate students gathered at four Felpauschs, five Lansing-area Krogers, two Wal-Marts and Snyder's IGA Foodliner in Perry to collect food for the program. They raised about $2,375.
"I'm pretty happy with the results," business administration graduate student Jason Treter said. "We mostly raised cash."
Every dollar that the graduate students raise equates to seven pounds of food, Debord said.
"I believe we have about 18,000 pounds of food so far," Treter said. "Not including the actual donated food that has not been weighed yet.
"I'm hoping once everything is weighed our total pounds are pushed closer to 20,000."
The graduate MBA students are competing against each other to see who can gather the most food for the American Red Cross Mid-Michigan Chapter's Regional Food Distribution Center, 2116 Mint Road in Lansing.
MSU has participated in the program for seven years, and of the last five, the MSU College of Business has won at least one category in the fight against hunger, Debord said.
In 1999 and 2000, the business college's students won for most food collected per student, and from 2001-2003 the students won both categories - most food collected per student and total pounds of food collected.
"Our niche in the graduate business school is teamwork," Debord said.
The Food Distribution Center helps derail hunger issues in Lansing communities by providing salvaged food products to nonprofit organizations and agencies that serve the hungry and homeless.
Last year, MSU was the "Food Fight" winner with 228,568 pounds of food. Nationally, 773,518 pounds of food were donated.
Business administration graduate student Dara Hickman said it's important for MSU students to recognize the needs of the Lansing area, even though they are here temporarily.
"This programs provides the opportunity for people to have an impact on and give back to communities," she said.
The proceeds of the "Food Fight" are used in all 50 states, as well as Puerto Rico, and serve more than 26 million people yearly.
Residents of East Lansing will have the opportunity to contribute to the fight on Friday when MSU graduate students distribute paper grocery bags, donated by Kroger, to fill with nonperishable food items.
Full bags will be picked up on Monday. The donations should be placed in a visible area so that gatherers can see them from the road.
Food and monetary donations will conclude on Tuesday.
